A Spirited Perfect Ten

[lazyboy97o]

No, because my knowledge comes from being within the industry, not from an article. There's nothing to link to.

Even if there was an article for you to cite, it would in all likelihood be according to anonymous sources.

My favorite example of this is people who would dismiss Al Lutz as a liar but then quote the Los Angeles Times or Orange County Register who were only quoting Al Lutz.

 

[stlphil]

How much of that is people being upset over this incident and how much is people just don't like her as their "boss"? I don't doubt there are a number of professors who weren't happy someone way less qualified than them got the job.

As far as the story being dead, it's kinda on life support. There has been no public follow up and unless Gary Snyder or someone on the inside comes out publicly to discuss it, the story will die. No way the Iger camp or anyone from Huff Post is going to bring it up. As far as USC goes, if they call The Huffington Post and ask for an official comment on why the article was pulled they are going to get the run around or no comment. Without a smoking gun that leads back to Iger's wife she isn't likely to be fired. Just my read on the situation. I honestly couldn't care less if she did get fired.

Sorry, but if the best investigating that the USC Annenberg School of Journalism can do is just "call The Huffington Post and ask for an official comment on why the article was pulled", then they should shut down the place and be done with it.

Even the journalists at my high school would dig deeper than this.

 

[WDW1974]

Spirited Monday Musings:

Another day, another day with no photographic proof that any member ... current member of Disney's leadership team has ever been to the SDL site. Yep, still no Bob Iger at SDL site selfie. Maybe Disney is waiting for Beijing approval to release a pic at the shareholders meeting Thursday. That sure would show me. Put me in my place and totally (not) explain why there hasn't been one since the construction began four years ago.

I think this may be a very interesting meeting.

Sure, I know I have a large ... um ... Ego and all, but why are all the devices I use to post on this site suddenly acting 'screwy' in the last five or six days, since I spoke with USC officials' and reporters? I'm sure it's just because I haven't worn my mouse-ear tinfoil hat this year while posting.

So, now we have folks looking to take what seems like awfully personal shots at the author of the HuffPo story ''Disney CEO Fumbles Entry to China'' Nah, I'm sure nothing odd there at all.

Gotta love Billionaire Bunny lapdog Phil Dauman telling the Deutsche Bank Media confab today that Nickelodeon is the ''only place to go'' for marketers who want to reach broad audiences of kids and families. I am sure Gary Snyder told him to take that shot at Dizzy.

I have to admit that UNI fanbois who think their company is run so much better than Disney should really spend a few hours talking to a UNI Creative. It seems that UNI is largely creating great product despite incompetence that is almost Disney worthy. I talked to a friend at length over the weekend and I wish I were allowed to tell a few tales. UNI is getting by because their utter stupidity at high levels is being covered up by actual quality product in the parks.

That is the only difference between them and Disney. Really.

That said, gotta love what I am hearing about the Kidzone replacement. Lots of high quality family attractions (multiple) be coming and they sound way kewl.

Yes, an attraction on Marvel Superhero island will be seeing major changes. No, Disney isn't getting the Hulk moved to EPCOT (sorry fanbois).

No, Star Trek isn't coming to UNI right now and, quite possibly, ever.

Does it bother me that WDW fanbois are largely so ignorant that they can't see what is really important and focus on waterfalls at the Poly and the truly odd and out of place Hub that is being created at the MK? Nah, I gave up on the fan community many years ago. They just want Disney to notice them and give them free stuff and lend them some degree of cred in the community.

#firewillowbay #disneycensors

 

[WDW1974]

This one deserves it's own post:

#IgerfumblesChina

 

[ford91exploder]

I wonder if there has been an increase in hiring USC journalism students by TWDC (and their affiliates) since she took over the job. In a lot of cases who you know is way more important than what you know. I'm sure a few placed calls by Willow to someone at ABC news or even ESPN could at least get people in the door. That's probably more valuable than the knowledge she brings to the job. It's also probably why the administration would be reluctant to fire her. Wouldn't want your students shut out from a major media company.

It's exactly why University presidents make hires like Willow Bay, But the dirty secret about University Presidents is they serve at the pleasure of the faculty who actually RUN most universities, Presidents/Chancellors have a bit more power at state schools because the president is usually hired by the legislature or their designee. The faculty usually has the majority vote on governing bodies.

What happened to Larry Summers at Harvard is a object lesson in faculty power, He said something stupid about women in science and he was gone in two months. Here was a guy who was Secretary of the Treasury under Clinton and they tossed him out like yesterdays paper. And yes he had tenure at Harvard along with his PhD. Harvard grudgingly allows him to teach undergrads now...

 

[Cody5294]

Spirited Monday Musings:

That said, gotta love what I am hearing about the Kidzone replacement. Lots of high quality family attractions (multiple) be coming and they sound way kewl.

Is the Kidzone replacement going to be based off of multiple IPs?

 

[ford91exploder]

So you don't think my house will get bigger if I repaint and redecorate?

It will expand at least a few thousanths of an inch because of the paint...

 

[NearTheEars]

Spirited Monday Musings:

Another day, another day with no photographic proof that any member ... current member of Disney's leadership team has ever been to the SDL site. Yep, still no Bob Iger at SDL site selfie. Maybe Disney is waiting for Beijing approval to release a pic at the shareholders meeting Thursday. That sure would show me. Put me in my place and totally (not) explain why there hasn't been one since the construction began four years ago.

I think this may be a very interesting meeting.

Sure, I know I have a large ... um ... Ego and all, but why are all the devices I use to post on this site suddenly acting 'screwy' in the last five or six days, since I spoke with USC officials' and reporters? I'm sure it's just because I haven't worn my mouse-ear tinfoil hat this year while posting.

So, now we have folks looking to take what seems like awfully personal shots at the author of the HuffPo story ''Disney CEO Fumbles Entry to China'' Nah, I'm sure nothing odd there at all.

Gotta love Billionaire Bunny lapdog Phil Dauman telling the Deutsche Bank Media confab today that Nickelodeon is the ''only place to go'' for marketers who want to reach broad audiences of kids and families. I am sure Gary Snyder told him to take that shot at Dizzy.

I have to admit that UNI fanbois who think their company is run so much better than Disney should really spend a few hours talking to a UNI Creative. It seems that UNI is largely creating great product despite incompetence that is almost Disney worthy. I talked to a friend at length over the weekend and I wish I were allowed to tell a few tales. UNI is getting by because their utter stupidity at high levels is being covered up by actual quality product in the parks.

That is the only difference between them and Disney. Really.

That said, gotta love what I am hearing about the Kidzone replacement. Lots of high quality family attractions (multiple) be coming and they sound way kewl.

Yes, an attraction on Marvel Superhero island will be seeing major changes. No, Disney isn't getting the Hulk moved to EPCOT (sorry fanbois).

No, Star Trek isn't coming to UNI right now and, quite possibly, ever.

Does it bother me that WDW fanbois are largely so ignorant that they can't see what is really important and focus on waterfalls at the Poly and the truly odd and out of place Hub that is being created at the MK? Nah, I gave up on the fan community many years ago. They just want Disney to notice them and give them free stuff and lend them some degree of cred in the community.

#firewillowbay #disneycensors

You keep repeating the no Iger photo at SDL, but I guess I've missed why it is so important to see him walking around the construction site.

 

[FigmentJedi]

What happened on Gravity Falls?

The truth about Stan, that machine in the Mystery Shack basement, and the identity of the Author are all revealed.

As Alex Hirsch put it before it aired, if you go into the next episode not having watched tonight's, you'll just be wondering what the heck happened.

 

[TalkingHead]

UNI is getting by because their utter stupidity at high levels is being covered up by actual quality product in the parks.

That is the only difference between them and Disney. Really.

So is that the Universal Difference? (Hey, as long as we're getting quality products in the park, I'm pretty content.)

That said, gotta love what I am hearing about the Kidzone replacement. Lots of high quality family attractions (multiple) be coming and they sound way kewl.

Yes, an attraction on Marvel Superhero island will be seeing major changes. No, Disney isn't getting the Hulk moved to EPCOT (sorry fanbois).

No, Star Trek isn't coming to UNI right now and, quite possibly, ever.

Sounds like good stuff on the horizon. I'm glad that it sounds like Kidzone might be on the way out. Any word on whether E.T. will be kept? (I assume it would...?)

I'd count myself a casual fan of Star Trek, but it seems like it might have been a problematic property to fit into the parks. If they were serious about going the route of a in-theater effects show, then really why bother? If they were going to go blow-your-mind E-ticket, that would have been an interesting property.

Does it bother me that WDW fanbois are largely so ignorant that they can't see what is really important and focus on waterfalls at the Poly and the truly odd and out of place Hub that is being created at the MK? Nah, I gave up on the fan community many years ago. They just want Disney to notice them and give them free stuff and lend them some degree of cred in the community.

#firewillowbay #disneycensors

I visited the Royal Pacific Resort today for the first time (and had tasty Tchoup Chop, too). I was impressed with the resort -- guess I've moved on from WDW in a lot of ways, because the Poly waterfall crisis didn't bother me at all and the Royal Pacific seems like a perfectly fine Poly substitute.

 

[lazyboy97o]

You keep repeating the no Iger photo at SDL, but I guess I've missed why it is so important to see him walking around the construction site.

Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and Shanghai Disneyland are why Iger is not to be questioned. They are the grand legacy and only Shanghai Disneyland is him not buying somebody else's content.

 

[ford91exploder]

If having an MBA qualifies you to be a journalism department head at a major University then I should be applying for jobs. She may be highly educated, but I didn't see any journalism teaching experience in her bio. In my experience the head of a department at a University is usually a tenured professor with a PHD and a bunch of experience in the related field. She has experience, but the academic background is missing.

^^^^ THIS ^^^^

 

[ford91exploder]

Even the simple entry level tenure track professorship requires a PHD.

And 6-12 papers published in peer reviewed journals and that's just to get HIRED.

 

[WDW1974]

I appreciate that you want to cause as much damage to Eisner's successor as possible, but I'm afraid you are barking up the wrong tree.

Here's a thought: if poor billionaire Gary Snyder was censored, then why isn't he screaming murder? That's right. Why is he silent? He is still sitting on those 'censored' articles (that he retracted...). If he wants them out in the open, why doesn't he distribute them?

It takes five seconds to put them on a blog, so the world can read his poor 'censored' words. Five minutes if he needs to rephrase to avoid rights issues with his publisher.

None of that though.

Not even any threats of sueing, despite playboy Snyder having a history of unleashing his shark lawyers on everybody who looks at him funny.

Because Gary 'flashy' Snyder simply overplayed his hand. As an advisor and large owner of Disney competitor stock, he needs to be prudent in what he writes professionally. He needs to be able to back up his assertions with facts when writing as a business advisor in manners pertaining to his competitors. It is fine for you and I to write nonsense about Disney on a cult fan forum, but not for somebody with competing business interests in a negative published article. When TWDC threatened libel - as they should, they are supposed and expected to protect their shareholders' interests - it turned out billionaire baby Snyder couldn't put his money where his mouth was. He had published unsubstantiable allegations for or at least with private gain, leaving Huff no option but to withdraw. Like a petulant child throwing the entire Monopoly board from the table, Snyder then withdrew all his articles and went sulking in the corner.

This post sounds so strangely familiar. Just a coincidence I am sure.

Or do you know the writer personally because it sure seems that way? So how do you know he's being silent? Just because you haven't read about it? How do you know he's a billionaire? Did he steal your bong at a frat party at Yale? Beat you on the horsies in the pool in that rich kid sport , water polo? Hit your 98 Fiat with his new Ferrari and run?

What exactly were his allegations because I missed them? How did he libel anyone? And how do you know Disney threatened him?

You love to run off at the mouth, and much like when you've backed trolls here, you're on the wrong side. No surprise at all.

#firewillowbay #disneycensors #IgerfumblesChina

 

[WDW1974]

There should be. What university appoints someone without a PhD to be Director of their School of Journalism? If this is not a quid pro quo arrangement I'm turning in my credentials. Imagine years of legitimate research and publication and teaching to have someone with an MBA with modeling and sportscasting experience be your supervisor. Most university deans need to have a vote of confidence and tenure.

She is very disliked at USC. That has nothing to do with this situation and everything to do with her being handed a position because of who she was married to.

Bob tried to place her in the job a few years ago and they held her off. Not so this go around.

I am sure all the serious contenders she beat out just love her experience as a talking head on CNN or talking hoops with Dr. Marsh's hubby.

 

[WDW1974]

Who is Gary Snyder? Is he a real person or is that a pseudonym someone was writing under. He claimed to be affiliated with the Redstone family, but then when they pulled the article the Huffington Post put up a statement that seemed to imply he was not who he claimed to be. That was almost immediately pulled. Shortly after all of his articles were pulled from the site. I think a while back @WDW1974 explained that his lawyers requested that all of his articles be pulled when the article in question was censored.

The whole thing smells rotten to me. What did he write in that article that was factually inaccurate? He clearly has a personal axe to grind with Iger and/or TWDC, but there's no law against that. I do agree with your first point that it's odd that the writer hasn't surfaced anywhere else to complain or state his case. Imagine the fireworks we would see if he did resurface.

i like what you wrote largely. I just question the personal axe to grind with Iger.

That's conjecture on your part, nothing more.

I hate the man, but I have never been formally introduced and I've never had dealings with him. Yet, I am extremely critical of him online (and off) just like I was his predecessor who I did know a bit.

I can't stand the man because of what he is doing to the company and its legacy and because of what kind of human being he is. Not because he won't send me a LE pin to celebrate 33 years as an APer at WDW, though.

The column was more about Disney's struggles with their BRAND in China than it was about Bob personally. Almost everyone I know who has read it came back with the same feelings. But they are not fanatical Disney theme park fans.

#firewillowbay #disneycensors #IgerfumblesChina

 

[WDW1974]

That's interesting. A Tokyo 2-park annual pass is about $680 (¥82,000), which means you pay only about $136 for your DLP passport.

Pretty amazing since a 1-day ticket at DLP is $109 for Americans while a 4-day ticket is $230. Impressive that you pay nearly $100 less for your AP than a 4-day ticket. Any special discount?

Of course, a WDW PAP is about $100 more than a TDL AP, so that means it's nearly 6 times your DLP passport.

Perhaps surprisingly, I've been told that WDW's 1-day ticket is one of its biggest sellers.

Unfortunately, most Americans haven't seen a 10-day vacation since they were children. The typical vacation is 4-to-5 days, meaning Americans pay considerably more for a 4-day MYW hopper ($369) than you pay for your DLP passport.

We can only dream of Tokyo Disneyland's $137 4-day hopper ticket.

Most European countries have mandatory minimum number of paid vacation days, typically 20 days or more. (Is France still 25 days?) In the U.S., it's 0 days. Unfortunately, most U.S. workers are 'at will' employees, meaning they can be terminated at any time without having to establish just cause.

I have had DLP APs four or five times. They always made great financial sense.

As yo TDR's four-day tix, all I can say is I thought they were a steal when I paid about $180 for them. Gotta love the drop in the exchange rate when I am here. But Angie M, my significant other, isn't looking forward to coming here with it down now to $1.08. I have never been in Europe when it wasn't about $1.35.

 

[WDW1974]

Versus, say, financial journalists who often own stock in the companies they write glowing articles about.

There is nothing demonstrably false in the Disney CEO Fumbles Entry to China article. It's an opinion piece, like thousands of other opinion pieces that are published every day without drama. Perhaps the most derogatory statement in it is calling Iger 'vanilla on toothpaste' but that's just a less complimentary rephrasing of the 'solid as a rock' image Iger likes to foster. Certainly, no one would call Iger a dynamic, exciting CEO.

Really, besides calling into question the financial wisdom of Disney investing billions in China, exactly what is so controversial about the article?

I am still trying to figure that out now weeks later.

Best guess? Other than incredibly thin skin by Bob? I think he may have feared another column was on the way with more in-depth discussion of Disney's dealings in China.

Really, where is that $800 million?

#firewillowbay #disneycensors #IgerfumblesChina.

 

[WDW1974]

We shall have to ask billionaire bunny Snyder, who has not dared repeat his fluff little piece. In all likelihood at the advice of his attorneys.

Waste of a read anyway. Misplaced triumphant trash-talking of a competitor. Meanwhile, Viacom's massive investments in China aren't doing all that hot. One would get the impression Beverly Hills Gary is seeing green with envy at the prospect of a competitor succeeding where he and his ilk largely failed.

While trashing Snyder, for who knows what reason or for whose agenda, you really would be better served learning your history about Viacom and China. They freaking opened the market for American media companies and are doing quite well. They love 'Billionaire Bunny' Sumner Redstone.

He has TV networks there. Disney does not.

His studio broke major records last summer with a film. Disney did not.

And again, I'd love to know what makes you think Snyder works for Viacom. Everything I've been told says he has nothing to do with either company and placed the disclosure on the column specifically so no one could later say he had a personal reason for writing what he has.

BTW, read Op-Eds in any USA publication and you find them. You know like when a Republican or Democrat attacks the opposite party or when someone once had a relationship with a company and is writing about the industry that company operates in. Like the former CEO of McD's writing about possible legislation on fast food or a consultant for GM talking about trade imbalances etc.

Common sense when one isn't busy trying to further an agenda with over the top personal attacks.

#firewillowbay #disneycensors #IgerfumblesChina

 

[WDW1974]

I think he is who he says he is now too.

As far as what got Iger so upset, that's a mystery to me. Nothing in that article was all that controversial. It must have been something he planned to say next.

Or what Bob feared was coming next.

And that should have any real Disney fan or shareholder wonder what exactly is Bob so worried about?